Page 160 of Square Deal

Her slobbery gurgle was agreement enough. Isaac settled Aly on his lap, and my ovaries squealed as we started the game.

Bets were made and expletives were shouted. Luca won the first round, and Kristin cleaned house on the last two.

Steve and Erica bowed out to get some sleep, and we broke for a break to stretch and rearrange the chairs around the table.

“Alright,” Luca said as he reshuffled the cards. “Anyone else who wants to have a plus-one voted on needs to do it with plenty of notice so I can get a new poker table. This one’s getting crowded.”

All eyes turned to Chase and Bridget.

Bridget shook her head. “Kyle’s always busy on Mondays.”

Yeah, busy being a dick-faced weasel.

Chase leaned back in his chair and draped his arm across the back of Kristin’s seat. “I’m good.”

Mel prodded the inside of her cheek with her tongue. “Yeah, I hear you’ve been getting busy.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Oooh, what are the nurses saying these days?”

Chase had been awfully cagey about Layla recently.

Mel tipped back her beer and finished it. “She’s quitesmittenwith the detective who’s been loitering around the ER.”

All eyes turned to Chase. He just shook his head. “Don’t go buying a new poker table just yet.”

I swore I saw Bridget sigh in relief.

“I, for one, would just like to say I’m a fucking awesome matchmaker, and my services are free of charge,” Maddie said as she looked at Melissa and Kristin.

“Nope, nope, nope,” Kristin shook her head. “You keep your magical powers away from me. I want nothing to do with any scheming, planning, plotting, or matchmaking. I have the kids and work. I don’t need another damn thing to worry about.”

“What about you, Mel?” Luca grinned.

She snorted. “I’m all for it. Set me the hell up. Tinder sucks.”

“For the love of God,” Chase groaned. “Please delete your account before you get kidnapped by a sixty-year-old creep from Milwaukee posing as a thirty-something from around here. I really don’t want to work your homicide case.”

Isaac’s phone rang while Chase and Melissa argued back and forth about the woes of online dating. He looked at the screen and said, “I’ve gotta take this. Don’t deal me in for the next round.” His voice was all business.

I raised my eyebrows, but nodded. “Okay.”

Isaac hurried to the French doors that led to the waterfront with his phone pressed to his ear. He paced back and forth. Something wasn’t right.

I kept a watchful eye on him as he stood on the sand with his hand clenched in a fist. He stalled at the water’s edge and rubbed the back of his neck. I excused myself and slipped outside when he got off the call.

“Hey,” I said quietly. “Everything alright?”

He scrubbed his palm over the sandy stubble on his jaw. He was struggling to form complete sentences.

He looked flustered and Isaac never looked flustered. More than that, he looked sick to his stomach.

“It, uh… It’s just business.”

I placed my hands on his chest and felt the thump of his racing heart. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “A, uh… A deal I’ve been working on for a while finally went through. The buyer called to say thanks.”

“Sweetheart, that’s great!” I said, laughing. “You had me worried there for a second. Must have been a big deal to involve you.”

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